Spanning 85 years of exceptional Modern British & Irish Art, next month’s Modern British & Irish Art sale at Bonhams showcases work by stellar artists from this period including L.S. Lowry, Ceri Richards, John Craxton, William Nicholson, Glyn Philpot, Christopher Wood, Lynn Chadwick, Elisabeth Frink and William Turnbull.
The 69-lot auction takes place at Bonhams’ London saleroom on Wednesday 21 June and amongst the highlights are:
Sir William Nicholson (1872-1949), Mrs Reginald McKenna and her sons, Michael and David, 1927, oil on canvas, estimate £100,000 – £150,000. Described as showing Nicholson ‘at his finest’, this painting has remained in the same family collection and comes to the market for the very first time.
Lynn Chadwick RA (1914-2003), Bullfrog, signed, numbered and dated CHADWICK./1951./63.7/9. (on the underside), bronze with a black patina and iron, conceived in 1951 and cast by Pangolin Editions in 1988, estimate £200,000 – £300,000. From a crucial period in the artist’s career, Bullfrog is a prime example of Chadwick’s ‘Geometry of Fear’ works and, significantly, the only one he chose to later cast into a bronze and steel edition of nine – to which this work belongs.
John Craxton RA (1922-2000), Summer Triptych (Boy on Wall, Girl on the Seashore, Goat and Tree), c.1958, tempera on board, estimate £80,000 – £120,000. Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner, this triptych unites three keynote images Craxton had painted for an earlier mural competition for London’s Morley College.
Christopher Wood (1901-1930), Spring Flowers in a Jug, 1928, oil on canvas laid on board, estimate £40,000 – £60,000. Spring Flowers in a Jug belongs to a time when Christopher Wood was working closely with both Ben and Winifred Nicholson and the painting combines the strong influence of both. It is described as a ‘visual record of the significant relationship between the three artists’.
Ceri Richards (1903-1971), Trafalgar Square, signed and dated ‘51/53/Ceri Richards’, oil on canvas, estimate £50,000 – £70,000. From the artist’s most sought-after period – and with impeccable provenance from his own family – Trafalgar Square is a museum-quality painting which evolved from Richards’ first Trafalgar Square painting made for the Festival of Britain exhibition, 60 Paintings for ’51.
Sir Frank Bowling RA (born 1934), Untitled, acrylic and collage on canvas, estimate £100,000 – £150,000. Seen in public for the first time since the painting was gifted to the present owner’s parents in the late 1970s, Untitled demonstrates Bowling’s mastery of colour. In 1987, Frank Bowling became the first artist of afro-Caribbean descent to have work enter the Tate collection and in 2005 he was elected the first black Royal Academician in the institution’s history.
Dame Elisabeth Frink RA (1930-1993), First Horse, signed and editioned ‘/6 Frink’ (on the back-left hoof, bronze with a brown patina, conceived in 1990, cast 1 from the edition of 6, estimate £60,000 – £80,000. The horse is considered to be Frink’s most successful and commercial motif. The former owner of this work was the celebrated English travel writer, Eric Newby who, with his wife Wanda, formed a close friendship with Frink. The present work is accompanied by a letter from the artist to them dated 26 June 1991, confirming this cast is number 1 from the edition of 6.
Bonhams Modern British & Irish Art Sale takes place in the New Bond Street saleroom on 21 June 2023. For further information: bonhams.com
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Image: Sir Frank Bowling RA (born 1934), Untitled, acrylic and collage on canvas, estimate £100,000 – £150,000 image courtesy of Bonhams